


Footprints in the Snow

by M_E_Scribbles



Series: Clexa Halloween Week 2017 [6]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Clexa Halloween Week 2017, Costume party actually, Day 6: Free Day, Fluff, I'm not good with angst so who knows, Maybe - Freeform, Preparing for a party, first snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 04:46:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12574016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_E_Scribbles/pseuds/M_E_Scribbles
Summary: Clarke and Lexa are preparing for their first Halloween party together. Just as Clarke is (finally) finishing her make-up (she has to beat Raven as the best zombie! Okay?) Lexa notices it is snowing. Since Clarke is a southern California girl and has never seen snow, Lexa convinces her to skip the party and stay at home so they can enjoy the milestone together.What could go wrong?





	Footprints in the Snow

**Author's Note:**

> I was discussing Clexa Halloween Week with a mutual on Tumblr when they mentioned wanting to see something that wasn't usually thought of as Halloween-related used as a theme. For some reason my brain immediately went to the first snow of the year. And then this story was born. I hope you like it!
> 
> TW: Finn's a dick. There's a part where disturbing and violent behavior is described. Look for the - - - - to know where to stop reading if you want to skip. Look for the same when you can read again. I dn't think the violence or the behavior is too horrific but I'd rather be safe than sorry!
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!

What was it about laying on a bed with your legs over the side that made a person want to kick their feet into the air? Lexa contemplated that very question as she stared at the ceiling above her bed. She’d been waiting for over an hour for her girlfriend to finish her make-up for their friend’s Halloween party.

“Babe!” She called out. She turned her head toward the en suite bathroom, “Come on!”

“Five minutes!” Clarke shouted back.

“You said that forty-five minutes ago!”

Silence met her observation. Kicking her feet again, Lexa started hum to herself. Honestly, she was doing anything she could to pass the time. She’d had her costume and make-up on since right after she and Clarke had finished dinner. Of course, she’d worn the costume to a con earlier in the year so she knew it fit and exactly how to put it on.

“I told you to go as Eliza Lex! That way you could match my Alicia costume. But no, you wanted to be a zombie instead,” Lexa grumbled loudly, making sure she was heard through the door.

Again, Clarke remained silent. Sighing, Lexa turned her head to the right. Then she sat up.

It was snowing!

Suddenly her irritation at being made to wait for so long was gone. She’d been excitedly waiting for this day since she’d met Clarke. Her girlfriend was from Southern California. She’d never seen snow, other than at a distance on top of mountains. This would be her first Boston snow!

In an instant, she formulated a plan. She stood up and straightened her jacket and pat down her hair. She forced herself to take a series of deep breaths.

As calmly as she could, she crossed her room and opened the en suite door just enough to squeeze inside.

“Lex,” Clarke laughed, “I thought we decided to get ready at your house so we’d have plenty of room?”

Humming in response, Lexa slid her arms around Clarke. She sighed at the contact, Clarke’s back to her front, and leaned in to press a kiss to the crook of her neck.

“You’re going to mess up my bite!” Clarke scolded playfully. She nudged her with her butt and giggled when Lexa’s hands tightened on her stomach.

“You made me bite you there last night so you’d have a model of my mouth to show off,” Lexa accused, resting her chin on Clarke’s shoulder.

Shrugging, Clarke replied, “You have no proof.”

“Why are you so worried about this costume contest anyway?”

Clarke’s blue eyes finally met green in the mirror, “You’re kidding right? You know if I don’t beat Raven I’ll never hear the end of it. We’re both going as zombies. I have to be a better looking zombie!”

“You’re always better looking,” Lexa responded with a smirk.

“Smooth,” Clarke said with a laugh. “Now can you please let me finish this? We have to be there in…”

“Half an hour,” Lexa finished for her.

With a nod, Clarke leaned back into the mirror, “Exactly!”

Lexa released her from her arms and moved to slide up onto the vanity. She’d never been one to worry about having a big house but when she’d finally gained access to her trust fund she splurged and bought a the house she’d always wanted as a child. Plenty of bedrooms, five to be exact, and bathrooms, six if you needed to know. It was the vanity and the bathroom Lexa now occupied that sold the house in her mind. And she loved nothing more than sharing it with her girlfriend of six months.

“Babe,” Lexa said after a few minutes.

“Hm?” Clarke responded, making a funny face in the mirror to apply her eyeliner.

“Can I borrow you for just a minute?”

Clarke’s brow furrowed at the question, “I’m yours all the time, Lexa. And I’m finished with my make-up.”

“Just… can you close your eyes and follow my directions?”

“Why?”

Rolling her eyes, Lexa leaned forward and tried to catch her with a kiss. Clarke dodged it, not want her make-up disturbed. So Lexa hopped down from her perch and placed her hands on Clarke’s hips.

“Please? Just trust me?” Lexa asked.

“Of course,” Clarke sighed.

After a wink, she eyes were closed. Lexa turned her around and directed her through the house to the front door. She helped Clarke into her thick winter coat and opened the door. Clarke’s sharp intake of breath told Lexa she’d felt the cold blast of air. When they were finally on the porch, Lexa told her to open her eyes.

“Snow!” Clarke’s big blue eyes grew round with wonder. She stepped forward and held out a hand.

Just like that, Clarke became a five-year-old child. She was giggling and running in the yard. She stopped to catch a snowflake on her tongue. She marveled at how much even just a dusting of snow could change the world. All the while, Lexa stood on the porch, watching her.

Clarke beckoned her and she listened. She joined Clarke in her frolicking. Lexa picked her up and twirled her around, laughing when Clarke spread her arms out and belly laughed at the sky.

When Lexa finally put her down again, after a series of sweet kisses and hushed words, Clarke was nearly breathless with excitement.

“Clarke?” Lexa spoke quietly, her forehead pressed to the side of Clarke’s head as she stared up into the clouds.

“Yeah?”

Lexa tipped her chin down. She pressed a quick kiss to those gorgeous lips and smiled, “Maybe we can skip the party?”

“What?” Clarke jerked her head back.

“I know we spent all that time getting ready and that it’s Halloween but… this is your first snow,” Lexa explained her thinking as quickly as possible. She carefully cupped Clarke’s cheeks, trying to avoid smearing anything, “I just think we’d have a better time here at home. Just you and me.”

Clarke smirked, “at home?”

“You know what I mean,” Lexa blushed but didn’t break eye contact. “Please?”

After a moment, Clarke nodded. She grinned and kissed Lexa hard. Then she pulled her back into the house, “We need to get this make-up off so we can go outside and take pictures!”

Laughing, Lexa followed her into the bathroom. Removing the make-up didn’t take nearly as long as applying it, especially for Lexa. So while she waited for Clarke to finish her de-zombification process, she went and prepared the living room for a nice and quiet evening in with logs in the fireplace and the coffee table out of their way so they could sit right next to the flames.

She spread out the flannel blanket Clarke had left in her Jeep after one of their first dates; they’d gone stargazing in the Berkshires. It had made a home on the back of Lexa’s sofa ever since. Then she rummaged through the kitchen for supplies. None of which she had. No cocoa or marshmallows, no chocolate bars, no candles to place around the living room. When was Detective Lexa Woods ever without candles?!

Reaching for her phone to check the time, she noticed she’d missed a few texts from her sister, Anya, just checking to make sure she and Clarke were okay. Then Lexa saw she’d also missed several texts from Raven, all demanding to know where they were. Not wanting them to worry, she sent a text to her sister.

 

 **Lex-a-loo: (7:38p)**  
Change of plans. Clarke and I are  
staying in.

 **Big Sis: (7:38p)**  
For an actual, legitimate reason or  
is my fiancée going to be pouting  
for the rest of the night for nothing?

 **Lex-a-loo: (7:39p)**  
It’s Clarke’s first snow. I didn’t  
even know this was coming!  
We’re staying in so she can enjoy  
it properly.

 **Big Sis: (7:39p)**  
Look at you being all romantic  
and crap! *sniffle* *sniffle* You  
make me proud.

 **Lex-a-loo: (7:39p)  
** Shut up

 **Lex-a-loo: (7:40p)  
** Tell Raven we’re sorry!

 **Big Sis: (7:41p)**  
Don’t worry about it! Raven grew  
up in Cali too. Maybe she’s been  
here longer than Blondie but she  
remembers how excited she was  
when she saw her first real snow.

 

“Babe!” Clarke called from the front of the house. “Picture time!”

“Do you have your hat on?” Lexa called back, already moving to answer her lover’s call.

The pause that followed told Lexa she didn’t. She Lexa made a detour to the hall closet, opening the door to find Clarke’s hat and scarf in the little cubby where she’d placed them earlier.

They danced around the yard some more, laughing and twirling their way around. When Clarke leaned in and caught Lexa’s lips in a kiss, the gasp that escaped wasn’t just from passion though.

“Clarke, you’re freezing!” Lexa rubbed her hands up and down Clarke’s arms.

“I know!” Clarke beamed at her. She ran the back of her hand along the reddened tip of her nose and laughed, “This is so great!”

Shaking her head at the enthusiasm, Lexa wrapped an arm around Clarke’s shoulders and tried to take her into the house. Halfway through their turn though, Clarke stiffened.

“Were you over there at all?” Clarke pointed toward the area where the walkway met the sidewalk.

“No,” Lexa shook her head, “Why?”

“There’s a couple of footprints,” Clarke answered. She took a step closer and nodded, like Lexa had argued with her and Clarke had just proven herself right, “Look. There are two prints leading up the walk.”

“I don’t know,” Lexa shrugged. “Maybe I was over there when I was taking pictures. I wasn’t paying attention. Can we get you inside and by the fire now please? I’d like to keep my California girl from becoming a popsicle please!”

Clarke glared down at the prints for another couple of seconds, as if she didn’t like their existence. Then she allowed Lexa to lead her back to the porch. She paused there though, turning to face the yard and the beauty of the snow.

“It’s weird…” she said thoughtfully.

“What is?” Lexa asked, wrapping her arms around her from behind. She burrowed her cold nose into Clarke’s warm neck, smirking at the shriek her action caused.

When she couldn’t get away, Clarke sighed in resignation. Then she lifted her gloved hands and placed them over Lexa’s on her stomach. “The snow. It’s so quiet but… the silence. It’s loud.”

****

After Clarke’s walk down the philosophical side, Lexa convinced her to go into the house and get warm. They got a fire going and ordered a pizza. Meanwhile, Lexa would run to the nearby market to get snacks and the ingredients for hot chocolate. She left the house with a smug smile on her face, Clarke had refused to let her leave without a quick make-out session first. And in Lexa’s world, nothing could get much better than kissing her girlfriend in front of her fireplace!

Moving as quickly as she could, Lexa grabbed everything she needed for a romantic night in with Clarke. She had candles and candies and strawberries and everything she needed for hot chocolate. Within minutes she was impatiently waiting in the checkout line. The woman in front of her insisted she be allowed to use expired coupons and refused to leave without speaking to a manager.

When that mess was finally cleared up, Lexa placed her items on the belt and smiled at the teenage boy behind the register. He was just starting to ring her up when Lexa’s phone buzzed in her pocket.

She glanced at the picture, sure it was Clarke calling her to tell her to hurry. Instead, Her sister’s face greeted her.

“Anya?” Lexa answered.

“Hey, you’re still at home right?”

“Hello to you too,” Lexa laughed.

Anya growled, “Not the time!”

“What’s wrong?” She straightened and clenched her jaw.

“Sarge just called,” Anya bit out. From the shuffling sound on the other end, Lexa knew she was trying to get further away from the party in the background. “He said Collins skipped out on his PO. They don’t know where he is. There was just a reported sighting of him though. In Southie.”

That had Lexa growling. The teenager’s jaw dropped at the change in her demeanor. She hung up without a word to Anya and apologized to the boy, telling him she changed her mind on all her purchases before she ran out the door.

Knowing her sister, Anya had already called for a unit to check on the house. Even if she did that before calling Lexa, the officers wouldn’t make it to her house for another seven minutes, if she was lucky. So Lexa ran as hard as she could.

All the while, those three blocks between the market and her house, she thought about what she knew of Finn Collins. He was an old high school flame of Clarke’s. And of Raven’s. They’d gone to different schools. Finn had moved his senior year, meeting Clarke and her friends. He began to pursue Clarke almost immediately. They were together for nearly nine months before Raven showed up at an end of the year bonfire on the beach, surprising Finn and Clarke.

Finn had gone to that party with two girlfriends and left with none. Clarke and Raven though, they left as new friends. Unable to take ‘no’ as an answer, Finn stalked Clarke. He followed her around school. He called her house and her cell phone constantly. He eventually followed her to university.

Pausing her racing thoughts, Lexa tried to call her girlfriend. The call went straight to voicemail. That pushed Lexa to run even harder. Clarke never turned off her phone. Never.

Somehow she knew Finn was responsible. After what he did in college… Lexa had never run so fast in her life.

Their junior year of college had been a nightmare for Clarke. Finn switched majors. Suddenly he was in nearly all of her classes even though he didn’t have a shred of artistic talent. He was always around after that.

\- - - -

One day, Finn flew into a rage when Clarke had kissed another boy at a party. He wasn’t a boy Clarke knew. It was a game of spin the bottle. It wasn’t even a kiss worth remembering. But to Finn, it was betrayal. In his mind, Clarke was his. She always had been and always would be.

He hunted that boy down and beat him to within an inch of his life. He only stopped when John Murphy, one of Clarke’s friends, pulled him off. Then, instead of facing what he’d done, Finn ran to the apartment Clarke shared with Raven and their friend Octavia. He pounded on the door until a bewildered girl let him in. Charlotte, a visiting college senior shadowing Octavia, was home alone because the others had gone to get supplies for a girl’s night and Charlotte hadn’t wanted to go.

Finn gave her twenty dollars and told her to go catch a movie. She’d tried to argue but he insisted. He introduced himself as Clarke’s boyfriend and said he wanted some alone time with her. He even asked Charlotte to beg Octavia and Raven to join her. Something she did without much hesitation.

When Clarke got home, she was shocked to find Finn waiting for her. He was sitting on the couch, his hands in his disheveled hair and he was muttering. She tried to back out of the apartment before he noticed her. A creaky floorboard gave her away. He was on her before she could even scream.

Unbelievably, he kept her in the apartment for hours while he talked about all his plans for their future. Their jobs, their house, their kids, he had everything settled in his mind. And under no circumstances was Clarke ever allowed to kiss another person. Ever.

Years later, after Clarke made it big in the art world and moved across the country, she swore she only survived because Murphy had miraculously appeared at her apartment. He kicked in the door and wrestled Finn to the ground. He held him there until the cops came.

Once he was alone with Clarke, Murphy apologized for not getting there faster. He’d gone to the hospital with that kid Finn almost killed.

And Finn Collins… He was ordered to serve a minimum of three years. He was granted parole on his first try. Even with the prison doctors warning he was dangerous. He’d been a model prisoner, never in trouble, he kept to himself. He was a number they could erase, so they did.

\- - - -

During her sprint to her house, Lexa’s one comfort was that Clarke was at her house. That meant her weapons were there. She just needed to get there.

****

**_Meanwhile, at Lexa’s_ **

Lexa had been gone for almost twenty minutes when the pizza finally arrived. Clarke danced to the door, excited to start her romantic evening in with Lexa. Who needed a costume party when there was pizza and beer and a roaring fire?

“Hey,” Clarke greeted the pizza delivery guy, handing him the money and reaching for the boxes in his hands, “keep the change.”

“Thanks, Clarke,” came the reply.

She froze. She hands were gripping the cardboard boxes hard enough to dent them. She didn’t want to look. Not at all. But she had to.

“Finn,” She gasped when she met his brown eyes.

“Hey, Princess,” he smirked. “How’s it been? Should I be worried since you never visited me?”

Clarke tried to close the door. He shoved his foot in the way. Thankfully she’d tried to slam it hard enough that he bent in half in pain. That gave her time to run.

Lexa had told her about the safe room. It was in Lexa’s closet. She just needed to get there.

She ran through the living room, hurdling the couch and coffee table as she went. She could hear Finn behind her. He was cursing and shouting. Then he was after her. It only took him three strides to nearly catch her. She felt the breeze his hand caused as he tried to grab her.

“Clarke!” He roared. “You’re mine!”

“Go away!” She shouted back.

He bellowed again, causing her legs to surge forward. Somehow she managed to catch the corner just right, using her hand on the wall to keep her momentum up. Finn hadn’t seen that coming, he ran right by the doorway to the master bedroom.

“Princess,” Finn called out as he doubled back. “I just want to talk!”

“Go away, Finn!” She said.

Then she was in the small three person safe room. She slammed the door just before he reached her. The thick metal muffled the sounds of his screams and demands. She could barely hear him pounding on the door.

She sank into the corner of the room, reaching up to grab on of the itchy wool blankets Lexa always kept there. Wrapping it around herself, she waited. Maybe she’d only known Lexa just seven and a half months, but she knew her girlfriend. She knew what was coming.

****

“What is the situation?” The first officer asked a panting Lexa.

“There’s a possible intruder in my house. My girlfriend is in there as well,” Lexa replied as quickly as she could manage.

The two police officers glanced at each other, and then second one spoke, “How do you know there’s an intruder.”

“Gentleman,” a stoic tone spoke from behind them. They whirled around to see Indra Branch, Lexa’s captain. “She’s a detective. She’s told you the possible situation. Perhaps we refrain from questioning her and you go search the house.”

“Are there weapons inside?” The first officer asked.

“Yes,” Lexa nodded. “My service firearm should be in the entryway closet in a safe. In the master bedroom, there is a gun safe with two rifles and three handguns. Above my fireplace, there are three swords.”

The second cop froze as she repeated, “swords?”

“Katanas,” Lexa nodded.

“Okay,” the first officer nodded once. He waved the other officers over.

Within minutes five police officers were storming into her house. Lexa had wanted to go with them but she was unarmed and without her vest. They had no way of knowing if Collins was armed.

It took ten minutes for Finn Collins to be dragged out of the house in handcuffs. As soon as he was outside, Lexa ran into the house. She sprinted by officers writing things down and taking pictures. She went straight to her room.

Sitting on her bed, talking to an officer, Clarke had one of Lexa’s old Army issued blankets around her shoulders. With a quiet sob, Lexa hurried to her side. Without a word, Clarke lifted and arm so she could fit under the blanket next to her as she finished telling the officer what happened.

“You have a restraining order on him?” He asked.

“I do. He’s not supposed to get within 500 feet of me,” Clarke nodded, her arms tightening on Lexa’s shoulders.

The officer nodded and closed his notebook, “I don’t think there’s much that needs to be done here. They should have everything wrapped up within an hour. And they have the statement from the real pizza guy. Collins knocked him out cold with a two-by-four to the back of the head.”

“So he’ll be charged with breaking parole, stalking, harassment, breaking and entering, and assault?” Lexa asked.

“Among other things. Like assaulting a police officer,” The cop nodded.

****

As soon as the women found themselves alone, Lexa apologized for leaving Clarke unprotected.

“Babe,” Clarke kissed her softly. “I knew all I needed to do was get to the safe room. I knew you’d come to my rescue.”

“I didn’t rescue you though,” Lexa protested. “I couldn’t. I wasn’t carrying my service weapon and I didn’t have my vest on. I couldn’t – ”

Tsking, Clarke shook her head, “don’t you ever feel guilty for not rushing into a dangerous situation! I’d rather you be safe! I know you’ll be by my side as quickly as you can be whenever something happens.”

“I love you,” Lexa said softly. “I don’t tell you often enough. But I do.”

“I know,” Clarke kissed her again. “I love you.”

Nodding, Lexa sighed, “I just wish this hadn’t ruined your first snow.”

“Nothing is ruined! We’ll improvise! And the pizza place is sending over fresh pizza for us!” Clarke declared. She stood from the bed and pulled Lexa up. “You go get that fire going. That cop asked the delivery guy to pick up our snacks and things from the store. He was remarkably willing.”

Smiling to herself, Lexa followed her orders. She built the fire back up. She made sure the beer was chilled and the blankets set up just right. When she finished, she went back to the bedroom. She found Clarke there, staring at a spot on the floor.

“What are you doing?” Lexa asked.

Clarke’s head jerked up. She was giggling to herself, “That’s where the cops tackled Finn.”

“And?”

Throwing her head back and laughing, Clarke exclaimed, “they may have let me tase him once or twice after I got out of the safe room...”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging! (Honestly, they're all ways to feed a writer's soul!)


End file.
